How To Form A Good Habit for Your Work Ergonomics

Because many offices, school classrooms and medical processing centers now revolve around computers, the United States workforce has experienced a rather unhealthy shift in the evolution of our work habits. The simple fact of the matter is that we have become adapted to sitting for long and extensive periods of time when working behind a desk.

This work habit presents serious health and lifestyle concerns, and is one of the leading variables spurring the Ergonomicsand Sit-and-Stand movements waving through workspaces across the country.

However, at the heart of the quest to find a new way to work is a fundamental principle. Every type of action we take comes down to a matter of habit. If we want to work in healthier, safer and more efficient ways then we must push ourselves to establish healthier, safer and more efficient habits.

What is a Habit?

When you learn any new skill or process your brain makes physical connections that create pathways for specific neurological activity associated with that skill or process. When you continually perform these same actions, this physical pattern of behavior is even more deeply ingrained. Quite often, your response to physical stimuli will become so automatic that you will not even be aware of the choice you are making. For instance, merely sitting down to work at a computer might communicate in your brain that you should remain in front of this workstation until your task is complete or your work shift is up. This is a habit.

Knowing What You Want to Make a Habit

Understanding exactly what you are trying to achieve through an altered set of actions is the first step to forming a new habit. Before beginning to implement a new ergonomic equationinto your work routine or implementing a Sit and Stand regime in your workflow, you should take some time to research the concepts at the heart of these movements, gaining a deeper understanding of what you might want to accomplish.

Our VersaTables Learning Center provides numerous articles for your consideration on these topics.Many of these resources can explain specifically how to relate these concepts in your home office use, in medical institutions, educational organizations, private developments and public business firms. Further, you can visit our WhitePapers to discover documents that are useful for distribution to your colleagues, employees, students, friends and family.

Know the Proper Way to Perform the Activity

Taking the time to learn proper Ergonomic techniques and/or Sit and Stand techniques ensures that as you work to form a new, better work habit you will be doing so effectively. It is counterproductive to form a new habit based on bad technique.

Provide Incentives

You want to form a new work habit because it is potentially rewarding in providing enhanced comfort, efficiency, productivity and safety. However, before gaining the intrinsic rewards of your new, good habit it can help to provide yourself with smaller rewards that inspire you to work on gaining your new skills.

Treat yourself to your favorite lunch spot, or a luxury coffee after you successfully adopt your own ergonomics equation for three days, and then again after you consistently practice ergonomic principles for a week.

Of course, you should also continually remind yourself that you are working towards feeling, living and working better.

Schedule the Habit Forming Process

Experts recommend two to four weeks to successfully form a habit. The initial two weeks should establish the habit, and the following two weeks provide reinforcement strength.

Of course, to ensure something becomes and remains a good, strong habit requires regular attention be devoted to maintaining your skills and goals. Make it a point to frequently review Ergonomics news and advancements.